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Does It Make "More Sense" For MGS5 To Have More Action, Too?

With ever-dwindling attention spans and Japanese developers assuming that every gamer in the West wants nothing but nonstop action, the question must be asked.

After Capcom said it only "makes sense" for Resident Evil 6 to embrace more action, I have to wonder if the same change is in store for other iconic franchises.

We had all assumed that Capcom would cater to the action aficionados with the squad-based shooter, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, and continue to satisfy the long-time survival/horror aficionados with the next official installment in the series. But that doesn't appear to be the case. Now look at Metal Gear: you've got Platinum Games removing the stealth from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, a move Kojima and Co. agreed with. Granted, Kojima has stated that Revengeance is a spin-off and not an official entry in the "Metal Gear Solid" series. Hence, the removal of "Solid" in the title of Metal Gear Rising (or so we assume).

But we made assumptions with Resident Evil 6, too. If Operation Raccoon City is like Revengeance, couldn't MGS5 be like RE6? After all, as amazing as MGS4 was, it was already more action-oriented than any past entry in the series. It still allowed stealth fans to get their fill because it offered a gameplay option, but what if MGS5 didn't? Even the great Kojima isn't immune to this rash generalization that's sweeping Japanese game makers; i.e., that Western gamers just don't want anything that requires any patience whatsoever. And if even the guru falls prey to this view, MGS5 could really disappoint hardcore followers.

Everyone ardently hopes Kojima Productions won't give in to the stereotypes. But at this rate...what else can we believe?

Comments (29 posts)

No! It does not. Let REVENGENCE handle the action. MGS5 should not include added "ACTION" just for the hell of it. Kojima-San will produce an excellent adventure no matter what.Last edited by FatherSun on 1/22/2012 9:59:00 PM

Rising being 'revealed' as mainly action was no surprise.. You could tell from the very first trailer with it advertised as "Lightning Bolt action" that there was going to be a lack of stealth given how Raiden's new fighting style is. Also keeping in mind with MGS4's teaser of "No place to hide".

Action is fine, but with MGS being well known as "Tactical Espionage Action" there would have to be some options involved, whether the player wants to sneak through harmlessly or bulldoze through endless enemies attacking them. It was after all how the series was defined.

The moment MG loses all the stealth and becomes a run'n'gun action game, is the moment I will never touch the series again. The main series I mean. The spin-offs I don't care about as I don't play those anyway. But then again, since Snake's story is supposedly over, there's no telling what could happen with the next one. But I feel reassured that it will it will live up to expectations as Kojima has already stated that MG5 will be an "authentic stealth Metal Gear Solid" after the reception Revengeance received.

The MGS series has always sold itself as "tactical espionage action". I wouldn't mind more "action", as long as there is an equal, if not greater, amount of "tactical espionage". That's what made MGS4 so good, it gave us the choice between either gameplay style. Why be restricted to one style when we can have both?

I don't care how much action is going in as long as it get it's fair share of stealth.

Just like RE6, I agree that it only makes sense to add more action to RE but not to the point of literally making it an action game like how RE5 was.That was an action game with survival horror controls, it's like having beer with biscuit.

I'm still having a hard time figuring out what MGS5 could possibly be about. The best idea I can come up with is another entry filling the gap between Metal Gear Solid 3 and Metal Gear. Either that or a prequel to 3, detailing Jack's early work with The Boss. Whatever it is, it may have more action, as 4 did, but I can't see Kojima completely removing stealth from the game. If it does happen, that would alienate just about every long-time fan of the series. I'd like to think Kojima has more sense than that, but other legends have fallen...

Considering the state of the industry... For sure. Gamers thrive on the action, and Rising is a different kind of action to what Solid should ever strive to be. As such, Kojima could easily up the action elements if so he chooses. Considering the reaction to Rising though, I don't think that he will. He knows that his core fanbase is very appreciative of what he has done in the past and that he should stick to it if he wants to continue the series. Besides that, who's to say that Project Ogre won't be a more action oriented title to get the idea out of his system, or maybe he'll go truly balls to the wall with his new Zone of the Enders (it's coming, why else would Konami be HD-ifying the older games).

Whatever the case may be, I think that MGS5, if it ever comes to exist, will have more extraneous elements, be they action, strategy or RPG-esque, a la Peace Walker. It detracts from the purity of the series, but offers a chance at capturing a new audience, which is the ultimate goal in this increasingly competitive market.

I think what developers fail to see is that it's not just the action that propels games like COD or even Halo to their insane sales figures. It's the social dynamic of the multiplayer that is driving those sales. Gamers play those games because all their friends do. Why? Because it's just cool.

I hope Kojima, the last few true idealist, visionary and perfectionist in Japan gaming industry (the other being Ueda) would not pursuit this westernization crap and I am confident that he knows what to do with MGS series, the stakes are high with this legendary title...nufff said.Last edited by BigBoss4ever on 1/23/2012 6:56:50 PM